Forze Overview

Forze VIII

Upgrading Performance

After the world debut of hydrogen electric racing by the Forze VII, there was still a whole lot of work to do to win races. Therefore the Forze VII was stripped down to nothing but the LMP3 monocoque. From that state she was completely rebuild with new and better components. Some of the major projects were: implementation of a 700 bar hydrogen system, completely new front and rear suspension, total redesign and production of the electrical wiring harness, and obviously a completely new carbon fibre bodywork for much higher aerodynamic efficiency. Furthermore, the packaging of all components was drastically changed to improve the car’s performance.

Due to all of these huge upgrades, Forze is confident that they will be able to compete for the victory at the Gamma Racing Day in August 2018!

The Forze VIII is build to compete against petrol powered cars in the Supercar Challenge during the Gamma Racing Day.

The race weekend exists of a free practice session and qualifying on Friday, a 60 min race on Saturday and a 45 min race Sunday. Even though the Forze VIII has a 700 bar refueling option implemented, it is not allowed to refuel hydrogen gas during the race. This is unfortunate as quick refueling is one of the major advantages of hydrogen. Luckily, another advantage of hydrogen in mobility is a long range. The brand new 700 bar fuel tanks provide us with enough capacity to finish the race without refueling. Competing in the Supercar Challenge will demonstrate the potential of hydrogen and the future of sustainable racing!

Over the years, Forze can progress to the fastest division of the Supercar Challenge. In the long-term we plan to move towards endurance racing. Participating in the announced hydrogen class at the 2024 24H of le Mans is the most solid example of this endurance aspired future.

The Forze VIII became the first hydrogen racecar in history to compete in a FIA certified race. On August 18th she raced in the sport division of the Supercar Challenge and finished 6th out of 7. This event took place during the Gamma Racing Day at the TT Circuit of Assen.

On the circuit of Zandvoort, the Forze VIII holds the official lap record for electric sportscars at 1:56.958 during a test where conditions were far from ideal.

On the TT circuit of Assen, the unofficial lap record of the Forze VIII is 1:57.046.

The Forze VIII led the parade of the Elfwegentocht, an attempt to break the world record for longest sustainable parade.

Forze VII

Innovating a new era

The Forze VII is the most recent and the fastest hydrogen racer built by the team. In August 2017 the Forze VII made the world debut of hydrogen electric racing. Never before had a hydrogen electric car competed in an official race. Forze competed in the Supercar Challenge at the Gamma Racing Day. By competing with gasoline powered cars Forze proved that this technology is feasible, reliable and very exciting.

The Forze VII is built around a LeMans Prototype (LMP) monocoque. LMP cars are the fastest endurance race cars. Therefore the monocoque will not only be the foundation of this car, but also the basis as Forze looks to the future.
This allows the team to develop even better race cars and keep setting records!

The Forze VI has set many lap records and was thus one of the fastest hydrogen electric cars in the world.
The only thing she did not do was competing in race against gasoline powered cars. Forze VII was built with this goal in mind. Continuing and innovating on the base which was set, the team developed a complete new race car with the ultimate goal of winning in an official race! In August 2017 the Forze VII made the world debut of hydrogen electric racing. Never before had a hydrogen electric car competed in an official race. Forze competed in the Supercar Challenge at the Gamma Racing Day, Europe’s largest combined event in auto- and motorsport. By competing with gasoline powered cars we prove that this technology is feasible, reliable and very exciting.

The Forze VII is built around a LeMans Prototype (LMP) monocoque. LMP cars are the fastest endurance race cars. Therefore the monocoque will not only be the foundation of this car, but also the basis as Forze looks to the future.
This allows the team to develop even better race cars and keep setting records!

On the 7th of August 2017 the Forze VII became world’s first hydrogen electric race car to compete in a race. It raced against fossil fueled cars in the Supercar Challenge. By setting a third laptime, the potential of hydrogen technology was proven. For this achievement Forze was awarded with the Garage 56 trophy of the Supercar Challenge and the 3rd place of the D:DREAM Innovation Award.

The Forze VII lapped the circuit of Zandvoort in 1:56.76 and the TT Circuit of Assen in 1:57.288.

Forze VI

Entering a new era

After the introduction of the Forze VI in the Summer of 2013, the team reached many highlights and achieved many successes. The Forze VI is six times more powerful and efficient than its predecessors and is specially designed to compete against gasoline powered cars. It is one of the first sports car worldwide which contains a fuel cell system. With this, the tone was set and realistic goals for the upcoming years were planned.

The Forze VI is equipped with a lightweight body and diffuser for improved aerodynamics and thus she was well equipped to obtain a lap record at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

The Forze VI is designed and built based on a Lotus 7 type frame which was a big challenge for the Chief Engineer. It was difficult to package a hydrogen fuel cell into a frame which was originally designed for a combustion engine. A stack of Ballard fuel cells provides power while many components around the fuel cell are custom made and prototypes.

The air system to provide oxygen to produce additional power pumps 5000 liters of air through the system. This is due to several components inside the car which need to be cooled, such as the motors, DC/DC converters and the energy buffer. The total amount of hydrogen in the tanks is 3 kg.

After 2,5 years of hard work, the Forze VI obtained a lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife on May 7, 2015 of 10:43:56 minutes, turning the Forze VI into the fastest race car in the world that runs on hydrogen.

After the obtained lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife it was time for the participation at the well-attended Gamma Racing Day. The Forze VI got the chance to demonstrate herself together with famous Formula One drivers such as Max Verstappen, Tim and Tom Coronel and Alex Márquez. With 87,500 spectators and a successful run it was a great event.

The Forze VI has also beaten the electric lap record on Zandvoort on November 16 in a time of 2.05.45 minutes, which is 5.5 seconds faster than the previous lap record by a Tesla Roadster.

Forze V

After the obtained record of the Forze IV on the 1/8th mile on August 16th 2011, the team started with a new challenge. The team wanted to build a second hydrogen electric Formula Student Car, namely the Forze V. The new race car was specially designed to compete with combustion and electric cars at FSUK to show the potential of the hydrogen technology.

After months of hard work on the Forze V was unveiled to the public on June 23rd on the Spuiplein in The Hague like its predecessors. The roll-out of the Forze V was guided by a technical presentation and the fuel cell system was taken out of the car to further explain it to the public. Also, the Forze I, II, III and IV were present to give a nice overview of the history and technical development of the team and its cars.

The Forze V is an evolution compared to its predecessors and is developed around a hydrogen fuel cell which is the beating heart of the race car. Through several subsystems, the fuel cell delivers power to two electric motors which are connected to the tires with a belt drive. Many parts in the fuel cell system have been redesigned which resulted in a very compact and light system. Moreover, the ergonomics have been improved with an adjustable pedal box and a tailored seat for the drivers.

Formula Student at SilverstoneAfter completion and roll-out of the Forze V, the new race car participated at two major events. The first event was the Formula Student held at the famous Silverstone race track whereby the Forze V competed with more than a hundred combustion and electric cars. During the competition, the Forze V was the only hydrogen powered vehicle. The fastest lap time on the first racing day resulted in a Top 35 position. In overall, the Forze V finished on a 56th place on the rankings as the car was not able to finish the entire race.

Rotterdam City Racing
During a demonstration of the Forze V, the race car drove on the City Racing Rotterdam through the center of Rotterdam with hundreds of other vehicles, ranging from go-karts to Formula One cars. The race cars were driven by the best drivers in the world. The Forze V demonstrated its potential during the New Energy Demo, where they drove in a parade of alternative fueled vehicles.

Forze IV

At the end of the third season the team was ready for the next step and to build a grown-up race car. This was made possible due to the obtained knowledge and expertise during the development of the previous three vehicles. As the Formula Zero competition was not challenging enough, the team was ready to develop and build a revolutionary race car. From a standard go-kart with an off-the-shelf fuel cell system to an advanced Formula Student race car.

After many months of hard work, the team was ready to unveil the Forze IV to the public on 9 July, 2011 at the Spuiplein in The Hague. With a 28L tank which stored the hydrogen at a pressure of 350 bar and a standard automotive refueling components, the Forze IV was the first Formula style race car ever powered by a fuel cell system.

As the step from a go-kart to a Formula Student race car was more advanced, a new chassis and a total fuel cell system was developed. It was equipped with a standard automotive refueling components which made it possible to tank at any commercial hydrogen refueling station. Moreover, the race car was designed to comply with the Formula Student Competition regulations.

The bodywork of the Forze IV is extremely lightweight and is served to protect all the technology inside the race car. The bodywork consists out of complex shapes with thin layers of glass fibers which is impregnated with low LCA polyester resins, supplied by DSM Resins.

With the use of negative molds milled by Nedcam, it was possible to create a body panel within a short period and less amount of material. Professionals from Glasurit did the sanding and coating of the bodywork to give it a nice look.

Formula Student Competition
The Forze IV was developed and build for the Formula Student Competition but due to problems with the electronics the car was not ready to participate during the competition. However, the jury was impressed by the scrutineering and design of the Forze IV and its new technology.

FIA Record Attempt
As the Forze IV could not participate during the Formula Student Competition, the team organized a big event in the city centre of The Hague to have a shot at the 1/8th mile world speed record. The Forze IV did several attempts to break the recod which was previously set by the Formula Zero organizaton at 11.6 seconds. At the end of the trials the fastest time was set and announced by Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Maxime Verhagen: 10.456 seconds, more than a second faster than the previous record.

Forze III

One year after the completion of the Forze II and a handful of races worldwide, the team was designing a new vehicle to participate in the third consecutive year of the Formula Zero Championship. The technical goal of the Forze III was to improve in the field of reliability, weight, power and control. The design of the Forze II was critically reviewed and there was plenty of room for improvement. The team was able to test new components on the Forze II platform and was therefore able to test them thoroughly.

On 14 July 2010, the Forze III was introduced to the public in the city centre of The Hague. Ho Pin Tung, Formula One test driver for Renault was the person to drive the first meters with the brand new car in front of the press and public. The introduction of the Forze III attracted a lot of publicity and was a great success. The new Forze III consisted out of an increase in fuel cell power and an improved electronic system which was ligther and ‘smarter’ than its predecessors.

During the development of the Forze III, the team also started with the development of a self-designed fuel cell system to compete in the Formula Student class with the upcoming Forze IV.

Due to the optimized control system in the Forze III, the team was able to improve the fuel cell power by 10%. A new DC/DC converter has been used for more reliability and adjustability. With the use of different motor controllers, it was possible to use kinetic energy from the rear wheels to fill up the energy buffer. The new buffer is larger compared to the one used in the Forze II due to the increase of the boost caps (40 instead of 32).

The bodywork of the Forze III is extremely lightweight which has been achieved by the creation of a new production method which consists out of a frame and special stretch fabrics to create organic shapes. The whole bodywork has been painted by Deurloo Autoschade and Glasurit.

In 2011, the Forze III competed against a combustion go-kart at the Dutch Grand Prix which was organized in the centre of The Hague by the team itself. Other Formula Zero teams were invited to this event but due to technical and financial problems they were unable to compete against the Forze III.

Besides this event, the Forze III has been used for multiple other events in and outside the Netherlands. The Forze III drove through the centre of Rotterdam during the Bavaria City Race, in Berlin during the Challenge Bibendum and in Aruba.

Forze II

After the successful introduction of the Forze I in 2008, the team was determined to improve the performance of its predecessor and make it more sustainable. This was done by making the whole system lighter, more efficient and by improving the handling of the vehicle. A major change of the vehicle was the development of a bio-based bodywork which consists out of sustainable materials.

The Forze II was developed to participate at the Formula Zero Championship and was unveiled in the Summer of 2009. Even though the system of the vehicle was improved on many aspects and a significant increase in performance was achieved, the Forze II was not reliable enoug to be a serious contestant for the Championship. However, a strong basis had been created for a sustainable and promising future.

Like its predecessor, the Forze II was developed and build on a custom made go-kart chassis which was improved on several aspects. The bodywork of the Forze II has been fully designed in accordance with the Greenchoice Forze Vision. It consists out of a fast and attractive design which has been produced by using sustainable materials. The bodywork composite is made out of a combination of flax fibers and bio-resin. It has been specially developed by DSM and is 70% biodegradable. Another major change is the number of boost caps which has been increased to provide 8kW of extra boost.

During its second year of the Formula Zero Championship, four independent races have been held at the circuits of the participating teams, named the Home Grand Prix. The first race was held in England and good results were obtained by the Forze II. However, due to failure in its electronics, the Forze II was not able to compete during the main race.

After a short break, the team had to prepare the Forze II for the second race which was being held in the Netherlands. Due to a lack of time, the team could not repair the DC/DC converter and was therefore not able to participate at the race.

After days and nights of hard work, the team repaired the Forze II and was able to participate at the race in Belgium. The Forze II was performing well and the obtained lap times in the sprint race resulted in a second place. In overall, the team finished on the third place due to a few errors in the fuel cell system.

Not being able to resolve all problems, the team travelled to Spain to compete in the last race of the Championship and finished on the third place respectively. Even though the Forze II did not meet high expectations, another strong basis had been created for a sustainable and promising future with the developments of its second year.

Forze I

”Zero Emission, Infinite Future”

Inspired by the Formula Zero Championship, Edgar van Os assembled a team of 40 part-time students from the Delft University of Technology to develop and build a hydrogen racing vehicle within one and a half year. Together with Edgar van Os, the team wanted to show the world a more attractive way of sustainability with the use of hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles. Unlike combustion engines, a hydrogen vehicle is so innovative that the team had to start from scratch with the development of knowledge and parts.

After many up and downsides, the technical efforts of the team paid off when it showed the world’s first hydrogen racing vehicle to the public in July 2008. The vehicle was unveiled by the professional racing driver Tim Coronel and Herman Vaanholt who is the director of Rotterdam City Racing. Aftera successful demonstration run and media attention in the evening television and many newspapers internationally, the Forze I was born and many successes have been achieved.

The Forze I is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell system which generates its electricity out of hydrogen. The exhaust emission only consists out of pure water which is partially collected in a tray to show that it is drinkable. The Forze I was the first vehicle ever to win a hydrogen fuel cell race in the Formula Zero Championship competition.

About Forze

Dreamteam Forze was called to life in 2007 to bring a positive contribution to the sustainability of the mobility industry. With 50 passionate and talented students from Delft University of Technology, Forze built the first hydrogen electric race car in the world. The goal of this dreamteam is to promote the use of hydrogen technology in racing. During the eleven years that Forze exists, they have built eight cars and achieved multiple great things with these cars like building the fastest hydrogen race car ever.